Stephanie

=**//Stephanie Hays' Page for South Central Kansas Writing Project//**= Story Prompts


 * Three Fun Writing Prompts to get the juices flowing.**

1. Work with a teacher from another class about your size. One set of student draw a picture of an imaginary animal. This animal could be a combination of animals or totally fictitious. These students then write a description of their imaginary animal. The picture is then kept with the original student but the description is sent over to the other classroom. Students from the new classroom randomly pick a description and then try to re-create the original picture. When completed the students are matched up to see if the pictures match. This writing project can be completed a few times during the year to improve students’ descriptive writing.


 * This prompt has been successful with 4th graders, however I feel that it could be used in grades 3-12, altered to fit age group.


 * This works because students enjoy creating an imaginary animal, and then the challenge of getting another students to see and create the animal exactly like they did. When I completed this the 1st writing assignment there were only 2/19 pictures that were similar, by the 3rd writing assignment in May 15/19 pictures were similar. Huge improvement.

2. Sounds—Have students close their eyes and listen to a specific sound. This sound could be: waves hitting a beach shore, busy city street, kids playing in a gymnasium, farm, etc… Then the students are asked to write about what they heard. Describe it, tell where it is, what time of the day it is, what they would be doing if they were there, and who would be with them. When completed the students can draw a picture or locate one on the Internet of this place.

This prompt can be used across the grade levels -modified in ways to fit the intended grade level. I used it with 3rd-8th graders.

This prompts works because it allows students to be individual in what they are writing. Each student has different thoughts about places and how they feel about them.

3. Smells—Have your classroom dark and open a cooler that is filled with a certain smell. Some examples: fresh fruit, perfume, fresh bread, apple pie, manure, and stinky sneaker. Have the students write about what the smell is, where they would find that smell, what they would be doing at this place, and who would be with them. When completed the students can draw or locate a picture of something related to the smell.

This prompt can be used across the grade levels- modified in ways to fit intended grade level. I used it with 3rd-8th graders.

This prompt works because students seem to relate to certain smells. It is amazing how different smells can mean different things to different students. The enjoy/or think it is fun when you use some bad odors.

Put web sites here that we want to share. Then annotate the web site. Why it is important. Do at least five. __http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/prompts.html__ This site is a wonderful collection of writing prompts that would help all teachers and students across curriculum and grade level. This is important because it gives examples when there oppurtunites for students to write.

http://atozteacherstuff.com/ A to Z Teacher Stuff is set up to help teachers find online resources easily. THere are lesson plans, thematic units, teacher tips, discussion forums for teachers, downloadable teaching materials & eBooks, printable worksheets and blacklines, beginning reader books, themes, and just about anything you will need. Have fun!!

http://www.webenglishteacher.com/creative.html THis site is an excellent compilation of information that can be used in any english class. It gives great ideas and fun things to try in your classrooms.

http://www.gigglepoetry.com/ This site has fun poetry suggestions for writing poetry in the elementary classroom. It also has published poems that students will enjoy.

http://www.proteacher.com/070087.shtml This site has many many lesson suggestions for language arts. Lesson plans are professionally completed with all of the information needed to use the lesson just how it is written, or they are great for idea starters just modify and make it fit your classroom.